Steven Hassan was a nice, intelligent Jewish American college kid from New York who became a “Moonie” and joined the Unification Church at age 19. He stayed in the cult for nearly two and a half years before realizing that he was brainwashed, deceived, and preyed upon by the leader Sun Myong Moon. Hassan was so committed that he “was ready to kill or die for" Moon.
Thankfully, his loving family intervened, refused to give up on him, and now, five decades later, Hassan is a mental health professional and regarded as one of the world’s foremost experts on cults and mind control. Over the years, he has worked to “deprogram” individuals, including extremists, who have fallen victim to insidious brainwashing, hero worship, and propaganda that divorces them from reality, facts, and their own family and friends.
On January 6th, 2021, thousands of MAGA supporters came to Washington, D.C. to participate in a violent insurrection against a free and fair election because they believed the lies of their leader, Donald Trump. Five years later, a majority of GOP voters still believe the big lie.
I met Hassan over a decade ago during the rise of Trumpism when we were invited to Aspen to discuss how ISIS used propaganda and messaging to gain recruits. Even back then, Hassan knew Trump was a fascist, and MAGA resembled the cults he spent his professional career studying and researching. In 2019, Hassan published the book, The Cult of Trump: A Leading Cult Expert Explains How the President Uses Mind Control, which is, sadly, more relevant than ever in 2026.
Back then, there was at least some pushback by conservatives and the GOP. Now, most of them are all-in with their “Daddy” and King. Institutions and corporations, including tech companies, have bent the knee as well. The country, and parts of Europe, seem to be suffering from a mass psychosis.
The world witnessed this during Nazi Germany as well.
However, what happens after Trump dies? What happens when, or if, the fever breaks? Is it possible to “deprogram” millions of Trump supporters who refuse to believe the news, facts, or their family members? What are strategies, if any, that could work?
Dr. Steven Hassan remains optimistic and believes there’s still time for an off-ramp, and it’ll be necessary for the future of our country to remain committed to expanding the tent.
Let me know if you agree.
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Thank you Amy Gabrielle, ann schneider, Omar Moore, William Marx, Leah Anderson, and many others for tuning into my live video with Dr. Steven Hassan! Join me for my next live video in the app.
